Structure for electromagnetically shielding a substrate

ABSTRACT

A circuit board that requires electromagnetic shielding is enclosed in a cavity formed between a metal case and a base substrate. A ground plane, which is electrically conductive, is embedded in each of the base substrate and the circuit board. The metal case is electrically connected to the ground planes in both the base substrate and the circuit board.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a Continuation Application of Application No.10/894,120, filed Jul. 20, 2004.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1) Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an electromagnetic shield structure forelectromagnetically shielding a circuit board substrate. Moreparticularly, the present invention relates to an electromagnetic shieldstructure that can block electromagnetic noise radiating from a circuitboard substrate.

2) Description of the Related Art

Occurrence of electromagnetic noise when circuit elements are powered upis a common phenomenon in a circuit board substrate on which circuitelements such as transistors, IC, LSI, etc. are mounted. If theelectromagnetic noise is ignored and no appropriate action is taken toshield it, it may lead to the malfunctioning of the circuit boardsubstrate, the electronic gadget in which the circuit board substrate isused, and/or other electronic gadgets.

There are two approaches to counter this problem. One is to see to itthat no major electromagnetic noise occurs in the first place. The otheris to suppress the electromagnetic noise, if there is any, so that thereis no widespread diffusion outside.

The former approach is a question of selection of the circuit. There aretechnologies those make it possible to drastically reduce theelectromagnetic noise, for instance, see Japanese Patent Laid-OpenPublication No. H10-270862. In the technology disclose in thisliterature, a multi-layer printed circuit board substrate is fabricatedby employing the method of assembling on the printed circuit boardsubstrate the circuit elements such as the IC, LSI, etc. and wiring ofthe power source layer (pattern design).

In the latter approach, a method involving shielding, that is, using anappropriate material to enclose the circuit board substrate so as toblock the radiating electromagnetic noise, may be used. Conventionalshielding method involves sealing both the surfaces of the circuit boardsubstrate by a metal frame in order to block the electromagnetic noise.

However, the conventional method of sealing both surfaces of the circuitboard substrate with a metal frame requires more area because the frameneeds to be accommodated. In addition, the cost is higher since themetal frame adds to the product cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to at least solve the problemsin the conventional technology.

An electromagnetic shield structure according to an aspect of thepresent invention is for electromagnetically shielding a targetsubstrate. The target substrate has a first surface, a second surfaceopposite to the second surface, and a plurality of side surfaces. Theelectromagnetic shield structure includes a metal case that covers thefirst surface and the side surfaces of the target substrate; and a basesubstrate that opposes the second surface. The metal case rests on thebase substrate. The base substrate holds a first ground plane that iselectrically connected to the metal case.

The other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention arespecifically set forth in or will become apparent from the followingdetailed description of the invention when read in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-section of an electromagnetic shield structureaccording to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view from above of the metal frame shown in FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view from below of the metal frame;

FIG. 4 is a magnified cross-section of a region of connection betweenthe metal frame and an electromagnetic shield-requiring substrate;

FIG. 5 is a magnified cross-section of a region of connection betweenthe metal frame and a base substrate;

FIG. 6 is a cross-section along the line C-C shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a cross-section of a conventional electromagnetic shieldstructure;

FIG. 8 is a magnified cross-section of an electromagnetic shieldstructure according to another embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 9 is a magnified cross-section of an electromagnetic shieldstructure according to still another embodiment of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Exemplary embodiments of an electromagnetic shield structure accordingto an embodiment of the present invention are explained next withreference to the accompanying drawings. Although the invention has beendescribed with respect to specific embodiments for a complete and cleardisclosure, the appended claims are not to be thus limited but are to beconstrued as embodying all modifications and alternative constructionsthat may occur to one skilled in the art which fairly fall within thebasic teaching herein set forth.

FIG. 1 is a cross-section of an electromagnetic shield structureaccording to an embodiment of the present invention. An electromagneticshield-requiring substrate 2 in FIG. 1 is the circuit board substratethat is shielded by the electromagnetic shield structure. Various kindsof circuit elements such as transistors, integrated circuits (ICs),large-scale integrations (LSIs), etc. are mounted on the electromagneticshield-requiring substrate 2. When these circuit elements are poweredup, they produce an electromagnetic noise. If the electromagnetic noiseis ignored and no appropriate action is taken to check it, it may leadto malfunctioning of the electromagnetic shield-requiring substrate 2and the electronic gadget of which the electromagnetic shield-requiringsubstrate 2 is a part, and in addition, may cause other electronicgadgets to malfunction as well. The present embodiment aims to block theelectromagnetic noise. A metal frame 1 encloses a top surface 2 a andsides of the electromagnetic shield-requiring substrate 2. As shown inFIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the metal frame 1 is a one-side-open, rectangular,metal case. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the metal frame 1 viewedfrom above and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the metal frame 1 viewedfrom below.

The metal frame 1 may be made of any material as long as it effectivelyblocks the electromagnetic noise.

Further, although it is mentioned above that the metal frame 1 isone-side-open, rectangular, metal case, it may have any other shapes.For instance, the metal frame 1 may be of a shape that is same as thatof the electromagnetic shield-requiring substrate 2, or of a shape thatis same as that of the electronic gadget in which the electromagneticshield-requiring substrate 2 is mounted. The metal frame 1 may be of anyshape as long as it effectively encloses the top surface and the sidesof the electromagnetic shield-requiring substrate 2.

The metal frame 1 may also be of any size, such as to suit the size ofthe electromagnetic shield-requiring substrate 2 or the space inside theelectronic gadget in which the-electromagnetic shield-requiringsubstrate 2 is mounted, etc. as long as the metal frame 1 effectivelyencloses the top surface and the sides of the electromagneticshield-requiring substrate 2.

The metal frame 1 is electrically connected to the electromagneticshield-requiring substrate 2 via connecting members la provided insidethe metal frame 1. To be more specific, the metal frame 1 is connectedto a connector pad 5 (see FIG. 4) provided on the surface (the topsurface 2 a in FIG. 1), in other words, the side that is opposite to abase substrate 11, of the electromagnetic shield-requiring substrate 2which is facing the metal frame 1. The connector pad 5 is connected toan embedded ground (GND) plane 2 c provided within the electromagneticshield-requiring substrate 2. FIG. 4 is a magnified view of the region Ashown in FIG. 1, which is the point of connection between the metalframe 1 and the electromagnetic shield-requiring substrate 2.

The connector pad 5 and the embedded GND plane 2 c are electricallyconnected by a through hole 2 d that traverses widthwise from the topsurface 2 a of the electromagnetic shield-requiring substrate 2 to theembedded GND plane 2 c. This connector pad 5 may be etched to match thesurface pattern that is pre-etched on the top surface 2 a of theelectromagnetic shield-requiring substrate 2. If the electromagneticshield-requiring substrate 2 is a printed circuit board and the like,the connector pad 5 can be etched together with the wiring print, thusmaking the etching process simple.

The through hole 2 d may have any shape or size as long as it enablesthe embedded GND plane 2 c and the top surface 2 a of theelectromagnetic shield-requiring substrate 2 to be effectivelyelectrically connected. Further, there are no limitations on the numberof through holes 2 d, and any number of through holes 2 d may beprovided.

Further, the connector pad 5 used in the electromagnetic shieldaccording to the present invention may be of any material as long as itenables the metal frame 1 and the electromagnetic shield-requiringsubstrate 2 to be effectively electrically connected.

The connector pad 5 again may be of any shape as long as it enables themetal frame 1 and the electromagnetic shield-requiring substrate 2 to beeffectively electrically connected, and may have a shape that matchesthe shape of the connecting member 1 a, and the like.

The connector pad 5 may be of any size as long as it enables the metalframe 1 and the electromagnetic shield-requiring substrate 2 to beeffectively electrically connected, and may be of a size that matchesthe size of the connecting member 1 a, and the like.

The other surface (the bottom surface 2 b) of the electromagneticshield-requiring substrate 2 is covered by the base substrate 11provided on the side of the bottom surface 2 b of the electromagneticshield-requiring substrate 2. The base substrate 11 functions as afoundation for the electromagnetic shield-requiring substrate 2. Thebase substrate 11 is disposed substantially parallel to and at apredetermined distance from the electromagnetic shield-requiringsubstrate 2.

An embedded GND plane 4 is disposed in the base substrate 11 runningroughly parallel to the main surfaces (a top surface 11 a and a bottomsurface 11 b) of the base substrate 11. The width of the embedded GNDplane 4 is broader than the width of the electromagneticshield-requiring substrate 2 in all directions. Consequently, the bottomsurface 2 b of the electromagnetic shield-requiring substrate 2 iscovered by the embedded GND plane 4 provided within the base substrate11.

The base substrate 11 having such a structure is connected to theelectromagnetic shield-requiring substrate 2 via connectors 3 providedon the top surface 11 a of the base substrate 11. An input/output 9 ofpower and signals from the base substrate 11 to the electromagneticshield-requiring substrate 2 takes place via the connectors 3.Consequently, no opening is required in the metal frame 1 for connectionto the outside.

The base substrate 11 is electrically connected to the metal frame 1 viaa connector pad 10 provided on the surface (the top surface 11 a in FIG.1, FIG. 5, and FIG. 6) of the base substrate 11 that faces theelectromagnetic shield-requiring substrate 2. To be more specific, asshown in FIG. 5, the base substrate 11 is connected via the connectorpad 10 to a mounting member 1 c provided at an end of a side surface 1 bof the metal frame 1. The connector pad 10 and the mounting member 1 cmay for instance be connected by a solder 12. The connector pad 10 isconnected to the embedded GND plane 4 provided within the base substrate11. FIG. 5 is a magnified view of the region B shown in FIG. 1, which isthe point of connection between the metal frame 1 and the base substrate11. FIG. 6 is a view of the region B shown in FIG. 5 cut along the lineC-C.

The connector pad 10 and the embedded GND plane 4 are electricallyconnected by a through hole 6 that traverses widthwise from the topsurface 11 a of the base substrate 11 to the embedded GND plane 4.

The through hole 6 may have any shape or size as long as it enables theembedded GND plane 4 and the connector pad 10 to be effectivelyelectrically connected. Further, there are no limitations on the numberof through holes 6, and any number of through holes 6 may be provided.

Further, the connector pad 10 used in the electromagnetic shield may beof any material as long as it enables the metal frame 1 and the embeddedGND plane 4 to be effectively electrically connected, and effectivelyblocks the electromagnetic noise issuing from the electromagneticshield-requiring substrate 2.

The connector pad 10 again may be of any shape as long as it enables themetal frame 1 and the embedded GND plane 4 to be effectivelyelectrically connected, and effectively blocks the electromagnetic noiseissuing from the electromagnetic shield-requiring substrate 2. Theconnector pad 10 may have a shape that matches the shape of the throughhole 6 and that of the mounting member 1 c.

The connector pad 10 may be of any size as long as it enables the metalframe 1 and the electromagnetic shield-requiring substrate 2 to beeffectively electrically connected, and effectively blocks theelectromagnetic noise issuing from the electromagnetic shield-requiringsubstrate 2. The connector pad 10 may be of a size that matches the sizeof the through hole 6 or that of the mounting member 1 c.

In this manner, according to the present invention, the electromagneticshield-requiring substrate 2 is covered by a metal frame 1 and theembedded GND plane 4 of the base substrate 11. In other words, in thisstructure, the electromagnetic shield-requiring substrate 2 iselectromagnetically sealed by the metal frame 1 and the embedded GNDplane 4 of the base substrate 11. This structure effectively blocks theelectromagnetic noise that is issued when the circuit elements such asthe transistor, IC, LSI, etc. mounted on the electromagneticshield-requiring substrate 2 are powered up. Thus, the electromagneticshield-requiring substrate is effectively shielded by the metal frame 1and the embedded GND plane 4 of the base substrate 11. As a result,malfunctioning of the electromagnetic shield-requiring substrate 2 orthe electronic gadget in which the electromagnetic shield-requiringsubstrate 2 is mounted, and other electronic gadgets caused by theelectromagnetic noise issuing from the electromagnetic shield-requiringsubstrate 2 can be prevented.

In this electromagnetic shield structure, the top surface 2 a and thesides of the electromagnetic shield-requiring substrate 2 are covered bythe metal frame 1, and the bottom surface 2 a of the electromagneticshield-requiring substrate 2 is covered by the embedded GND plane 4 ofthe base substrate 11 disposed facing the bottom surface 2 b of theelectromagnetic shield-requiring substrate 2.

In a conventional electromagnetic shield structure, as shown in FIG. 7,an electromagnetic shield-requiring substrate 102 is fixed to a basesubstrate 111 by connectors 103. The base substrate 111 functions as afoundation for the electromagnetic shield-requiring substrate 102. Bothsurfaces (a top surface 102 a and a bottom surface 102 b) of theelectromagnetic shield-requiring substrate 102 are sealed by coveringthem with metal frames 101 and 107. Thus, this structure enablesblockade of the electromagnetic noise. However, in this structure, morearea is required for accommodating the two metal frames 101 and 107.Besides, this structure leads to higher components cost since two metalframes 101 and 107 are required.

However, in the electromagnetic shield structure according to thepresent invention, the need to enclose all the surfaces of theelectromagnetic shield-requiring substrate 2 with a metal frame isobviated. In other words, as against two metal frames 101 and 107required in the conventional electromagnetic shield structure, only onemetal frame 1 is required in the present invention. Consequently, thearea required for accommodating the metal frame can be drasticallyreduced. Thus, the electromagnetic shield structure 20 of theelectromagnetic shield-requiring substrate 2 is space-efficient. As aresult, the electronic gadget using this space-efficient electromagneticshield-requiring substrate 2 can be made really compact.

In the electromagnetic shield structure of the present invention, theneed to enclose all the surfaces of the electromagnetic shield-requiringsubstrate 2 with a metal frame is obviated. In other words, as againsttwo metal frames 101 and 107 required in the conventionalelectromagnetic shield structure, only one metal frame 1 is required inthe present invention. Consequently, the weight of the metal frame canbe drastically reduced. Thus, a light electromagnetic shield structure20 is realized. As a result, the electronic gadget using this lightelectromagnetic shield-requiring substrate 2 can be made lightweight.

In the electromagnetic shield structure of the present invention, theneed to enclose all the surfaces of the electromagnetic shield-requiringsubstrate 2 with a metal frame is obviated. In other words, as againsttwo metal frames 101 and 107 required in the conventionalelectromagnetic shield structure, only one metal frame 1 is required inthe present invention. Consequently, the cost of the metal frame can bedrastically reduced. Thus, a cost-effective electromagnetic shieldstructure 20 is realized. As a result, the cost of the electronic gadgetusing this cost-effective electromagnetic shield-requiring substrate 2can be effectively reduced.

Thus, according to the present invention, a space-efficient andcost-effective electromagnetic shield structure is realized that enableselectromagnetic shielding of the electromagnetic shield-requiringsubstrate 2.

In the above description, a structure is explained in which the metalframe 1 and the electromagnetic shield-requiring substrate 2 areuniquely connected through the connection between the connecting membersla of the metal frame 1 and the connector pads 5 of the electromagneticshield-requiring substrate 2. However, in the present invention, astructure can be obtained in which the connection can be selected. Inother words, as shown in FIG. 8, a connector pad 13 is provided on thetop surface 2 a of the electromagnetic shield-requiring substrate 2corresponding to the connecting member 1 a of the metal frame 1. A chippart 14 that connects with the embedded GND plane 2 c of theelectromagnetic shield-requiring substrate 2 is provided on the topsurface 2 a of the electromagnetic shield-requiring substrate 2. Thus astructure is obtained in which the metal frame 1 and the electromagneticshield-requiring substrate 2 can be electrically connected by connectingthe connector pad 13 and the chip part 14 by a solder 15, as shown inFIG. 9. This structure enables the selection of whether or not the metalframe 1 and the embedded GND plane 2 of the electromagneticshield-requiring substrate 2 are to be connected, at the step in whichelectromagnetic noise radiation is evaluated.

The chip part may be a condenser, resistor, inductor, ferrite beats, andthe like. The electromagnetic shielding effect of the electromagneticshield structure according to the present invention can be controlled inaccording to the selection of the chip part.

It is preferable to mount faster circuits on the electromagneticshield-requiring substrate 2 and slower circuits on the base substrate11. In this way, more circuits can be mounted, and in spite of morecircuits, the electromagnetic waves issuing from the electromagneticshield-requiring substrate 2 and the base substrate 11 can beeffectively blocked.

The electromagnetic shield structure according the present invention canbe adapted as an electromagnetic shield of any circuit board substratethat issues electromagnetic noise, though it is most suitable forelectronic gadgets in which very low electromagnetic radiation, if atall, from the circuit board substrate is desirable. The electromagneticshield structure according to the present invention may be used inelectronic gadgets in which space-efficiency is desirable. Theusefulness of the electromagnetic shield structure can be moreeffectively demonstrated by using it in electronic gadgets in which verylow electromagnetic radiation from the circuit board substrate as wellas space efficiency is desirable.

Although the invention has been described with respect to a specificembodiment for a complete and clear disclosure, the appended claims arenot to be thus limited but are to be construed as embodying allmodifications and alternative constructions that may occur to oneskilled in the art which fairly fall within the basic teaching hereinset forth.

1. An electromagnetic shield structure for electromagnetically shieldinga target substrate, the target substrate having a first surface, asecond surface opposite to the second surface, and a plurality of sidesurfaces, comprising: a metal case that covers the first surface and theside surfaces of the target substrate; and a base substrate thatincludes a first ground plane and opposes the second surface, whereinthe metal case rests on the base substrate and is electrically connectedto the first ground plane.
 2. The electromagnetic shield structureaccording to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the metal case and thefirst ground plane are electrically connected via a through hole throughthe base substrate.
 3. The electromagnetic shield structure according toclaim 1, wherein the target substrate and the base substrate areconnected by connectors, the connectors being a means for input/outputof power and signals from the base substrate to the target substrate. 4.The electromagnetic shield structure according to claim 1, wherein themetal case is electrically connected to a second ground plane providedwithin the target substrate.
 5. The electromagnetic shield structureaccording to claim 4, further comprising a selecting unit for selectingwhether to electrically connect the second ground plane and the metalplate.
 6. The electromagnetic shield structure according to claim 5,wherein the selecting unit includes a first member that is electricallyconnected to the second ground plane; and a second member that iselectrically connected to the metal case; and a selecting member thatelectrically connects or disconnects the first member and the secondmember.
 7. An electromagnetic shield structure for electromagneticallyshielding a target substrate containing at least one circuit, the targetsubstrate having a first surface, a second surface opposite to thesecond surface, and a plurality of side surfaces, comprising: a metalcase that covers the first surface and the side surfaces of the targetsubstrate; a base substrate that opposes the second surface, wherein themetal case rests on the base substrate, and base substrate includes afirst ground plane; and connectors that electrically connect the basesubstrate to the target substrate to input power and signals from thebase substrate to the target substrate.